Tappet assembly



2 3941- P. F. BERGMANN E-rAL 2,264,561

TAPPET ASSEMBLY Fileduay 11, 19:59

1NVENT0RS. PAUL F. BERGMANN.

' RALPH w. osBoRN. k',

Patented Dec. 2, 194.1

TAPPET Assmmnr Faul F. Bergmann, North Muskegon, and Ralph W. Osborn,Muskegon, Mich., assignors to John.. son Products, Inc., MuskegonHeights, Mich., a

corporation ot Michigan Application May n, 1939, serai No. zvaoss l 1claim. (ci. rs1-i9) This invention relates generally to an adjustlngmeans and more particularly to a self-locking tappet assembly.

It is well understood by those skilled in the art that tappets must befrequently adjusted in order to give quiet and efllcient operation of anengine, as an automobile engine, and it is one purpose of this inventionto create a tappet which may be adjusted so that lt may be furtheradjusted under chosen degrees of force.

In other words, our invention contemplates ya lrst or initial adjustmentwhich may be more or less permanently set. Then, the second adjustmentmay be used Whenever necessary or desirable to lengthen or shorten thetappet length and this latter adjustment is made under whateverresistance was initially placed upon the tappet parts by the initialadjustment. And, of course, no further manipulation is necessary.

It will be understood that different types of lli . en away in order toexpedite the showing.`

engines and the different uses to which they are put, call for differentdegrees of force needed to assure locking of the tappet parts and ourinvention takes care of this condition as will be more fully understoodas the description proceeds. A

Briefly described, our invention consists of two tappet parts with abushingA therebetween, the bushing being threaded inside and out innovel arrangement together with a slanted outer surface together withvertically extending grooves.

Thus spring elements are formed and our invention contemplates not onlymovement of these to vary the locking of the threaded ele.- mentreceived therebetween but also their oorresponding outward reactionagainst the outer shell or member of the tappet whereby these other twoparts of the tappet are locked together.

Still further objects or advantages subsidiary or incidental to theaforesaid objects, or resulting from the construction or operation ofthe invention as it may be carried into elect, will become apparent asthe said invention is hereinafter further disclosed.

For the purpose of illustrating our invention we have shown in theaccompanying drawing two forms thereof which are at present preferred byus, since the same have been found in practice to give satisfactory andreliable results, a1- though it is to be understood thatthe variousinstrumentalities of which our invention consists can be variouslyarrangedg and organized `and that our invention 'is not limited to theprecise arrangements and organizations of the instrumentalities asherein shown and described.

Fig. 7 is a schematic view illustrating the bending of the bushing.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

. -Referring to the drawing, numeral III indicates the body of a tappetmember, chilled as at I I, see Fig. 3, and extended to forma'reinforcing rib I2 which is threaded as at I'3. This threaded portionextends upwardly as shown and then a tapered seat or slantlng wall Il isformed. The upper outer edge of the cylindrically shaped body is cutaway as shown to form the wrench ats I5. See Figs. 3 and 4. Thus a toolmay be applied to the tappet body to hold it during the adjustmentmanipulation.

Referring now to Figs. l and 2, I1 indicates the bushing generally. Thisis formed of a rig member I8, see Fig. 3, which is threaded at I9, andthese threads match the threads I3 previously-referred to. A groove 20is located immediately above the threads I9 and then a conical section2I extends outwardly and upwardly. The upper part of the bushing carriesan extension 22 having wrench flats or the like 23, see

Figs. 1 and 2, for adjusting the same.

The bushing is centrally drilled or recessed and threads 24 extenddownwardly therein to the shoulder 25, see Fig. 3, at which point thecentral recess is enlarged so that the adjustable bolt or element 40 mayfreely pass therethrough. Preferably this bolt 40 is formed of steel andhardened on its top surface.

The bushing-hasits central threaded hole beveled at 26 and slots 21extend at right angles to each other and diametrically across thebushing. ,These slots extend downwardly to points below the center ofthe groove thus dividing the upper part of the bushing into foursegments, each segment being capable of displacement.

Each of the segments carries one-fourth of the conical section 2|previously referred to.

From the above description it will be readily understood that thebushing member Il, shown in Fig. 2, may be entered into the mouth of thecylinder member IU, the threads I! entering the threads I3. Uponrotation in the proper direction the several segmental conical surfacesIl on the bushing I1 come into contact with theseat or similarlyinclined surfaces Il and a tight fit occurs. Upon further twisting orentering of the bushing the spring fingers or movable means lcatedbetween the slots 21 are gradually compressed and thus the threads 24formed thereon gradually lessen their pitch diameter with theresult thatthe stud 40 is more securely held. For each adjustment of the bushing I1there is a constant fixed tension which holds the bolt I0 in position.And the bolt 40 must be turned against this particular chosen amount offriction in order to move and adjust it.

That is. the bolt I0 may be positioned as shown in Fig. 3 or else it maybe turned, within limits, to any of its many other positions yet theforce required to turn it will remain the same. And the bolt 40 will belocked in its position against turning by the same constant amount offorce.

And, additionally, the reaction of the spring members against theirinwardly facing tapered seat I4 causes the bushing to be locked in placein its cylindrical member I 0. Fig. 7 diagrammatically illustratesthebodily movement and the tilting movement of one on the spring membersinwardly.

Fig. 6 shows the cylindrical member I0 in dotted lines, this memberhaving a neck portion and a tapered threaded portion 3l. AI bushingmember 32 has exterior tapered threads 34 as shown and terminates in aboss 35 having -ilats 36. The bushing member is drilled and threaded at31 to receive the bolt (not shown). Thus an adjustment is had betweenthe bolt and the bushing.

The bushing member is formed with grooves 39 and one of these groovesextends completely therethrough to form a slot 40. Thus the bushingmember may be compressed more or less to give the desired degree ofturning resistance to the stud as desired.` It will 'be understood thatthe bushing 32 may be placedwithin the'conical shaped threaded openingand then rotated to bring these members into more or less tightrelationship thus bringing the spring quarters of the bushing 32' ofsteel.

which are located between the several slots or grooves into more or lesscloser relationship. Thus the bolt which is received within this bushingis more or less tightly held as desired. It will be understood that theslope of the threads Il and u may be lessened i! desired. This wouldgive a slower adjustment and a'more powerful locking action.

- Preferably,the cylinder members l! are formed of cast iron, whereasthe bushings may be formed The bolts Il may be oi' steel, hardenedomtheir top surfaces.

From the above description it will be appreciated that we have inventeda tappet which can be quickly adjusted to the exact position desiredinasmuch as the locking thereof is not manually made but is automatic orinherent in the structure and thus the exact adjustment is not changedby the subsequent manipulation of the locking nut after the propertension has been made.

Also, our invention is novel inasmuch as the locking pressure is doublyexerted and utilized in both directions, that is, the bushing holds thestud and also holds itself against accidental movement.

Having thus revealed our inventionl we claim as new and desire to securethe following cornbinations and elements, or equivalents thereof, byLetters Patent of the United States.

We claim:

An adjustable bolt assembly comprising a member having an openingtherein, said opening being tapered and threaded, a threaded stemlocated within the said opening, spring means, comprising an annularring having an axial slot entirely therethrough, between'the stem andthe confines of the opening, interengaging means between the stem andthe spring means whereby 40 relative rotation causes adjustmenttherebetween, and interengaging means between the spring

